Malawarebytes new Anti-Malware free version 2.00.0.1000

[MadScientist]

I just downloaded and installed Malawarebytes new Anti-Malware free version 2.00.0.1000 from Malawarebytes website. Not liking the new interface, looks like one of those fake AV virus programs.

Under Detection and Protection, Scan for Rootkits is checked off by default. If you click on the big green Scan Now tab on the main menu it only scans the C drive. No option to scan other drives. You have to click on the Scan tab on the top of the page and click on Custom Scan to scan other drives.

Updated the database and did 3 scans. It took an average of 3:41 to scan only the C drive using the Scan Now tab, but when I choose Custom Scan and clicked on C and D drive it took an average of 18 minutes to reach Windows\Web\Wallpaper\img.jpg files on the C drive and the program froze. It did this 3x on different img.jpg files. My C drive is only a 120GB SSD drive. The program would only close after a reboot.
Uninstalled it, downloaded it again from bleeping computer’s website and re-installed. Same results.

May be you will have better luck with version 2, but for now I’m going back to version 1.75.0.1300 and using Kapersky’s TDSSKiller for rootkits. http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/malwarebytes-anti-malware/

 

[Berryracer]

uhh..... posted here long back: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2374965

 

[MadScientist]

uhh..... posted here long back: http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2374965

5 days in computer time must be long back. Eyes ain't what they used to be. How did I miss that. It even has one of those green arrow things on it.

Since you didn't post in the other thread anything useful that you can add to this one.

Anyone else having problems with the new version???

 

[ignatzatsonic]

All I've heard is some complaints about hanging when doing a custom scan of C with rootkits enabled.

I haven't checked the malwarebytes forum, but I'd imagine there's a lot of comment.

I don't much like the new interface either. And I doubt if I'd pay $25 a year under the new licensing model for the Premium version.

 

[NewYorksFinest]

I dont like malwarebytes. I use Webroot on my current PC.

 

[MadScientist]

I checked the Malawarebytes forum and there are complaints about it hanging up during a scan and the program freezing when Scan for Rootkits was enabled.

So, I first ran a chkdsk on C drive, no problems; and then a Custom Scan on C drive with Scan for Rootkits disabled. This time it finished the scan in 13:45.

I ran another Custom Scan of C drive with Scan for Rootkits enabled and the scan hung up again at a Windows\Web\Wallpaper\img.jpg file at 17:20 and I could not exit the program.

I have not run it yet in Windows 8.1, only in Windows 7 64bit.

 

[PliotronX]

I agree about the interface while it seems a little more modernized and I think they were kinda going for the Norton 360 style with large bold print and flat colors it ends up looking a bit like rogue anti viruses. My biggest annoyance is even though notifications are turned off because they're annoying they pop up and start with windows is unchecked and it starts up anyway. I'll try a fresh install I wonder if the upgrade didn't go over so well.. II like that it has a heuristic engine now though. I'll still use adwcleaner as a followup but it'll probably find fewer now.

 

[MadScientist]

AdwCleaner is a great program for getting rid of toolbars that people forget to uncheck when installing software. It's also good at removing browser hijackers.
Get it here: http://www.majorgeeks.com/files/details/adwcleaner.html

 

[bruceb]

I agree, the new one is not much better than the prior version. Among other things, you can no longer do a Quick Scan from the free version. And they changed the license to a Yearly Fee for the Premium (but if you had a license for Premium before this came out, it still good for life) I for one, do not like yearly fees for software. Would rather pay once for something.

 

[blankslate]

Among other things, you can no longer do a Quick Scan from the free version.

Supposedly they changed the name from Quick Scan to Threat Scan

So MBAM 2.0 will not do a Threat Scan in the freeware version?

 

[Mem]

Supposedly they changed the name from Quick Scan to Threat Scan

So MBAM 2.0 will not do a Threat Scan in the freeware version?

I think old quick scan is now hyper scan on the new version,but that's only available on premium version,greyed out on free version.


However you still have threat and custom(allows you to select what you want) scans so should be good enough.

 

[MadScientist]

So they are aware that there is a problem with V2.

Admin reply on their forum, posted today:
"We are working on improving the performance of rootkit scanning to attempt to resolve some of the issues we've seen where scans sometimes get stuck or hang in certain areas, so hopefully that will help as well once the new release comes containing this fix. In the meantime, unless you suspect you actually have a rootkit on your system, I'd recommend disabling rootkit scanning, particularly for any scan other than a Threat Scan since the Threat Scan knows where to look for rootkits (scanning offline/secondary drives for rootkits is pretty much pointless since active rootkits need to be running and will only install in the active MBR and/or drivers locations for the active Windows installation and the rootkit scanning in the Threat Scan already checks all MBRs for the system)."

From their forum:
Threat scan ==> quick scan
Custom scan ==> partial or Full scan - depending upon what you choose to scan.
Hyper scan ==> Flash scan (only available for registered PRO users).

As I previously posted I can run a Threat scan to completion in ~3:30 on C drive using the the big green "Scan Now" tab on the dashboard.

 

[blankslate]

From their forum:
Threat scan ==> quick scan
Custom scan ==> partial or Full scan - depending upon what you choose to scan.
Hyper scan ==> Flash scan (only available for registered PRO users).

As I previously posted I can run a Threat scan to completion in ~3:30 on C drive using the the big green "Scan Now" tab on the dashboard.

However you still have threat and custom(allows you to select what you want) scans so should be good enough.

ok, based on those replies it looks like they are not changing what is available on the free and Pro versions of MBAM. They just changed the names which seems to have caused some confusion.

I'll wait until they release 2.x with the improved rootkit scanning then upgrade from 1.75.1300

There are already separate and good rootkit scanners already available, so this new feature in MBAM isn't critical atm.

Thanks to you both for providing the information I need.



.....

 

[Virgorising]

Complaints? BIGTIME.

http://forums.anandtech.com/showthread.php?t=2375465

 

[pcslookout]

I don't like that you can't add exclusions to it under a limited user account. Even when I click on malawarebytes, that worked in the older version, then open it with admin it doesn't work anymore.

I have logout of my limited account then login to my admin account and add the exclusion every time.

 

[MadScientist]

According to an email I just received from Malawarebytes, there will be a patch out in April for V2 to fix the issue of scans hanging when Scan for Rootkits is enabled.

 

[corkyg]

Running in 8.1, it is nice that the Premium version does not hang. Just a bit slower then. The new terms, Threat, Custom, and Hyper that replace Quick, Full, and Flash are somewhat confusing.

 

[ignatzatsonic]

Just had an odd occurrence that caused me to revert to the old version 1.75.

Here is the sequence of events:

March 24: downloaded and installed 2.00 on top of 1.75. Ran it for a week with only minor complaints about the interface. Was willing to stay with it.

Today: due to unrelated issues, I did a System Restore to March 26.

As System Restore finished and the PC booted, I get an immediate onscreen message from MBAM that I am not protected, with a big "Fix Now" button.

Fix Now had no apparent effect. The red warning was still there.

I opened MBAM and saw that the problem was that the checkbox for malicious website blocking was unchecked. It has always been checked and was checked and running fine after the installation of 2.00 a week ago.

So I put a check in the checkbox. No change. I rebooted and got the same warning about being unprotected. I again put a check in the checkbox. No change. The warning remained, the checkbox setting appears to be irrelevant.

That's enough for me. Didn't check the malwarebytes forum. Didn't make any further effort to resolve. I might recheck 2.00 after a few months.

 

[MadScientist]

Running in 8.1, it is nice that the Premium version does not hang. Just a bit slower then. The new terms, Threat, Custom, and Hyper that replace Quick, Full, and Flash are somewhat confusing.

Did you run a Custom Scan on C drive with Scan for Rootkits enabled?

 

[MadScientist]

Malawarebytes just came out with a newer version of V2, 2.00.0.1004. No improvement. Same problems as in post #1.

Improvements
Database is now updated automatically after installation
Notifications are no longer displayed if the Dashboard is in focus to reduce redundant information
Significantly reduced the size of all tray notifications
Reduced the intensity of the colors used for tray notifications and status banners in the Dashboard
Database out of date and scan has never been run notifications now reduced in severity to orange instead of red
Issues Fixed
All scheduled scans should now run without popping up the main UI so that users are not interrupted

Nothing about fixing the problem of scans hanging when Scan for Rootkits is enabled in Custom Scan.

 

[corkyg]

For premiumn users, the update is auto. None of the problems cited above exist in Premium. It is much more manageable and more genteel. I have it all installed in 8 OS drives in 3 computers - no problems noted.

 

[MadScientist]

I have not tried the free version yet on my other computer that's running 8.1.
From their forum posted yesterday:
In about 2-3 weeks we're going to release yet another patch that will fix about ~30 bugs that have been reported or we've discovered. We wanted to make sure the UI issues were addressed first since we had some really great feedback from everyone.

 

[pcslookout]

For premiumn users, the update is auto. None of the problems cited above exist in Premium. It is much more manageable and more genteel. I have it all installed in 8 OS drives in 3 computers - no problems noted.

Not when on a limited user account.

 

[corkyg]

$24.95 for 3 systems? Seems like a useful bargain to me. Anyway, my comment was for premium users.

 

[pcslookout]

I am a premium user.